One trade that will probably be talked about for the next 100 million years is the Pelicans and Hawks draft night deal, which ended up sending Derik Queen to New Orleans. If you need a reminder of what this deal included, the Pelicans sent an unprotected 2026 first-round pick swap-best of either the Pelicans or the Bucks, and pick No. 23 (Asa Newell) to the Hawks for pick No. 13 (Derik Queen).
Now, the part of this deal that many people harp on is the 2026 first-round pick. Many think this could be a lottery pick as the Pelicans were a lottery team last season, and the Bucks lost Damian Lillard and are projected to be mediocre at best next season.
However, the part I'm here to talk about today is the No. 23 pick, which would've given the Pelicans the chance to draft Nique Clifford out of Colorado State. Clifford ended up being the 24th overall pick as the Sacramento Kings completed a trade with the Thunder to land him.
Funny enough, Derik Queen was the player to end Nique's college career. During the Round of 32 of this past year's NCAA tournament, Queen drove baseline and hit a game-winner that sent the Rams home and ended Clifford's collegiate career.
After hitting that shot, Queen's received a ton of praise, but since both guys have arrived in the NBA, the tables have turned, and now Nique is the one receiving all the praise.
Two completely different summer leagues
If you wanted to show someone new to earth what opposite meant, you'd show them the difference between Queen's and Clifford's play at the summer league.
Queen had a disastrous time in Vegas, averaging 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 5.7 turnovers per game, while shooting 43.8% from the field. In his three apperances the Pelicans were winless and went 0-5 across all five of their games.
Clifford, on the other hand, helped propel his team to a 5-1 record with their only loss coming in the finals vs the Hornets. He posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 45.8% from three. During his time in Vegas, he looked like a man amongst boys with his high IQ and incredible play on both ends.
I understand part of the Pelicans' drafting strategy was to pick guys that weren't NBA-ready yet, so they could develop them behind their veterans. However, when you look at how NBA-ready Clifford looked, it's hard not to feel disappointment in trading away the chance to draft him. New Orleans has a clear need for a wing off the bench, and Nique could've come in and filled that need. He would've been a great weapon off the bench and been a Swiss Army Knife for this team.
When looking at the talent that was available at pick No. 23, it makes the trade with the Hawks look a tad bit worse. Asa Newell, Nique Clifford, and Liam McNeeley were all guys still on the board at 23, and were all summer league standouts.